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Top 10 Wrestling Families: Countdown Part Five, Who’s Number One?

August 27th, 2014 at 5:43 PM By Peter Schifani

In this final week of the month of August we present the final part of this month's Top 10 countdown of the best wrestling families. We showcased many great lineages in the sport of pro wrestling, but none can surpass the number one in our countdown. In case you missed any prior parts, you may read part four here and part three here, with that having links back to parts two and one.

Number One: Hart Family

Stu Hart was the foundation of a wrestling family that started in Calgary, Alberta Canada in the 1930's. His "dungeon" was not only the training ground for his more famous sons, Bret and Owen (who died in 1999), but brothers Smith, Bruce, Keith and Dean (who passed in 1990). Stu also ran Stampede Wrestling since 1948 in the Calgary area, but while it was briefly owned by the WWF and closed for a few years, was reopened in 1999 and continues operating today. As we know Bret "Hitman" Hart started in the WWF in the 1980's as one half of the Hart Foundation with his partner Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart. Together they won the WWF World Tag-Team Championship twice, while the "Hitman" also went on to capture the Intercontinental Championship twice, the United States Championship once in WWE, four times in WCW, and both the WWE Championship five times, and WCW Championship twice as well. Owen Hart, who tragically died in 1999 falling from rafters of the Kemper Arena at the "Over the Edge" pay-per-view event, was also successful in winning championships. He was a two time Intercontinental Champion, one time European Champion and four times held the WWF World Tag-Team titles, once with Jeff Jarrett, once with Davey Boy Smith and twice with Yokozuna as his partners. Bruce and Keith Hart made an appearance at the 1993 'Survivor Series' with Bret and Owen defeating Shawn Michaels and his "knights." At 'WrestleMania' XXVI Bruce became the surprise referee in the No Hold Barred Lumberjack Match between brother Bret and Vince McMahon. Stu Hart passed away in 2003, and was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2010. Bret Hart was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006, and 2008 into the same Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame as his father would obtain six year's later. The legacy of the Hart family continues today with David Hart Smith in the NWA, and Natalya "Nattie" Neidhart in the WWE as the daughter to son-in-law Jim Neidhart.

Honorable Mentions: The Gilberts, including father Tommy Gilbert and sons "Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert and Doug Gilbert. The Vachons, including Maurice "Mad Dog" Vachon, his brother Paul Vachon, sister Vivian Vachon and niece Luna Vachon. These families just missed out on making this month's countdown.